News Release 285

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAY 10, 2010 -- Missourians will now be able to see the status of state parks beaches at a glance on a new webpage launched today. The page, /asp/spbeaches/state-park-beach-status.asp, is designed to let visitors quickly assess whether or not a state park beach is open or closed, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today.

The website will display flags at each beach’s location, with a red flag denoting a beach that has been closed and a green flag denoting an open beach. Beaches that have not officially opened for the season will have purple flags attached to them.

Beaches will be closed when a single E. coli sample exceeds 235 cfu/100ml or when the geometric mean – a 30-day rolling average – exceeds 126 cfu/100 ml.

By clicking on the flag, visitors can see the date the last sample for E. coli was taken, as well what the two sample results from each beach measured.

Visitors can also click on the “Text View” tab on the map and see the information in a sortable, tabular format.

When a beach is closed, signs will be posted at the beach and on bulletin boards at the park office to notify the public.